Sheriff: Higgins’ bond set at $2.6 million

Midland Reporter-Telegram and Associated Press

Published 2:58 pm, Saturday, October 11, 2014

Photo: James Durbin

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Midland County Sheriff Gary Painter looks on during a procession to bring the body of Midland County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Mike Naylor to Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home on Friday. James Durbin/Reporter-Telegram less

Midland County Sheriff Gary Painter looks on during a procession to bring the body of Midland County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Mike Naylor to Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home on Friday. James ... more

Photo: James Durbin

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Dan William Higgins, 37, was arrested Thursday afternoon after allegedly shooting a Midland County Sheriff's deputy, who was airlifted to the hospital and later died. As of presstime Thursday, Higgins had not been charged. less

Dan William Higgins, 37, was arrested Thursday afternoon after allegedly shooting a Midland County Sheriff's deputy, who was airlifted to the hospital and later died. As of presstime Thursday, Higgins had not ... more

Sheriff: Higgins’ bond set at $2.6 million

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The man who is charged with shooting a Midland County deputy was being held Saturday on two bonds totaling $2.6 million, according to a report released by Midland County Sheriff Gary Painter on Saturday afternoon.

Dan William Higgins, 37, was being held on a $2.5 million bond for the capital murder charge and a $100,000 bond for the sexual assault charge relating to an August 2013 incident.

Naylor, according to Officer Down Memorial Page website, is the first law enforcement official to die in the line of duty inside Midland County in more than 50 years.

Painter said in Saturday’s press release that Naylor and other deputies arrived at about 2 p.m. Thursday at a home in the 3800 block of North County Road 1247, where Higgins was believed to reside.

Deputies worked alongside the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force and the warrant section of the sheriff’s office to attempt to execute an arrest warrant for a first-degree felony charge of continuous aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14 years of age.

Deputies went up to the residence, but the suspect did not come to the door. The deputies broke out a window to make visual and verbal contact with Higgins, but he refused to come out, Painter said.

During the verbal exchange, Naylor attempted to get Higgins to voluntarily surrender, but he would not. Higgins then fired a shot toward Naylor’s head. Naylor dropped instantly, and a supervisor on the scene notified via radio that an officer was down, according to the release.

Deputies then returned fire and pulled Naylor to safety in order to apply first aid to stop the bleeding. Naylor was placed in a patrol vehicle and taken down the street to a waiting ambulance and transported to Midland Memorial Hospital in critical condition, according to the release.

Naylor never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead at 4:19 p.m. by Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace Judge Billy Johnson.

Numerous law enforcement agencies from across Midland and Ector counties arrived at the scene to assist in getting the suspect out of the residence.

Higgins surrendered at about 5:30 p.m. Thursday and was transported to Midland County jail.